Ex-deputy evades trial after disappearing following fatal sports car crash

An ex-deputy from Polk County, Florida is facing charges for two counts of manslaughter in connection to a fatal incident that occurred in 2022. Despite being scheduled for trial in April, he did not appear, prompting the issuance of an arrest warrant.

The incident took place on April 12, 2022, when Joshua Roelofs was involved in a high-speed DUI crash on the Courtney Campbell Causeway in Tampa, Florida, resulting in the deaths of Kris Koroly, 44, and Ricky Gongora, 44.

A third person was left permanently disabled after the wreck.

Joshua Roelofs after his 2022 arrest (Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office)

Leading up to the tragic crash in 2022, footage captured from a dashcam inside the Nissan GT-R sports car driven by Roelofs showed him driving recklessly, weaving between lanes, and ultimately colliding with an SUV carrying Koroly, Gongora, and two other individuals.

One of the surviving passengers sustained a severe brain injury in the crash and was in a coma for four months. He reportedly “struggles to walk, has seizures, needs constant assistance and has a reduced mental capacity,” the Tampa Bay Times reported.

Roelofs has ties to Ohio and Michigan. 

Joshua Roelofs is a former Polk County Sheriff’s deputy. (Polk County Sheriff’s Office)

Fox News Digital reached out to his attorneys, Deborah Barra and Glen Lansky, who withdrew as his counsel when he failed to appear in court. 

The U.S. Marshals Service did not return a comment request.